All posts tagged Celebrity Investors

GUEST MENTOR Aaron Easterly, CEO of Rover.com: For most startups, except perhaps those focused solely on consumer goods, having a celebrity endorsement does not, in and of itself, serve any business objective. However, some big names bring value to the table, beyond their celebrity, which can powerfully solve real problems in the business… Read More »

GUEST MENTORS Matt Pohlson and Ryan Cummins, co-founders of Omaze: Our company has worked with the many top performers, athletes and luminaries – from Lady Gaga to Jon Stewart to Phil Jackson – to raise money for charity by offering users the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences. So we often get asked what we’ve learned about harnessing the power and influence of celebrity partners. Here are a few simple insights… Read More »

GUEST MENTOR Charley Polachi, co-founder of Polachi Access Executive Search: If a startup creates a health product and Tom Brady endorses it, the investment is a worthwhile expenditure. However, if Brady were to endorse a cloud-based application that improves the speed of delivery, future investors and media would be left scratching their heads about the relevance… Read More »

JENNIFER HYMAN: As in any long-term relationship, you’ll be spending a lot of time with your investors. Inevitably there will be ugly or difficult times when you’re not acting like a great leader or when your business isn’t growing at the rate you presented in your pitch decks. Who do you fundamentally trust?… Read More »

GUEST MENTOR Brian Nohe, president of SMS Audio: It’s a luxury to have the backing of a celebrity. First, readily-available financial resources are always a plus, especially for a startup. It’s no surprise that this financial leg up, no matter how big or small, means you’ll have an easier time facilitating startup costs from day one. The celeb status also means you have a built-in consumer base…

ED ZIMMERMAN: I understand that Justin Bieber is now investing in digital media startups and that makes some sense to me given the need for musicians to understand social and digital media, and Bieber’s massive Twitter following. Nevertheless, I’m not a Belieber. I’d rather have committed and experienced investors and boardroom members — people with whom I have some sort of actual, personal connection. Sure, it’s great to have 40-million plus people hear your name in a tweet, but I looked at Bieber’s tweets and there’s plenty of self-promotion and not much substance. … Read More »

GUEST MENTOR Michael Chasen, CEO of SocialRadar and co-founder of Blackboard Inc.: For starters, not everyone is a fan of every celebrity—and some people actively dislike certain celebs. In that sense, choosing a celeb to promote your product or service could present more risk than a reward. Yes, you may catch the attention of a potential customer/user who might otherwise not pay you any mind, but you may also alienate those who don’t care for your celeb… Read More »

KEVIN COLLERAN: Some startups believe that the long-term marketing and branding benefits of celebrity involvement could play an important role in building the business, but getting that celebrity endorsement isn’t easy. Big global brands with large marketing budgets are always looking to hire celebrities to endorse products, so the chances of a small budget startup getting access to these celebrities is very unlikely… Read More »

DAVID COHEN: While a well-known investor may attract other investors or customers to your company, it’s not something you should obsess over. There are plenty of important qualities you should be looking for in investors, and fame should not be at the top of your list… Read More »

MAYNARD WEBB: Helping a company become very successful is not usually a celebrity’s full-time day job, so while star support boosts interest, it doesn’t necessarily come with experience and actionable advice. Furthermore, there are many smaller VC firms that don’t have as big a brand, but that do an amazing job helping a company scale… Read More »

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